Church of St Mary the Virgin

Details

SS 91 NW WASHFIELD WASHFIELD

9/205 Church of St Mary the Virgin - 5.4.66 GV II*

Parish church. C12 font, rest of the fabric circa late C15 with a thorough restoration of 1875 and tower restoration of 1900-1901. Stone rubble, most of the dresings 1875 Bathstone, slate roof with crested ridge tiles. Plan and development: West tower, nave, chancel, north aisle, south-east vestry and organ chamber, south porch. The medieval fabric is Perpendicular as are the details of the 1875 restoration. The porch, vestry and organ chamber are wholly of 1875. Exterior: Aisle and chancel windows mostly 3-light 1875 replacements possibly copies in Perpendicular style. The south side is most strikingly 1875 with 1 and 2-light trefoil-headed windows to the nave, south side of the chancel and the lean-to vestry and organ chamber. Unusually large porch with north and south windows and an ornamental-stone cross on the gable. Replaced Perpendicular windows to aisle, rectangular rood loft stair turret. 3-stage battlemented west tower with diagonal buttresses and a 3-sided north-east stair turret. West doorway with cushion stops and polychromatic arch; deeply recessed 3-light Perpendicular west window; belfry openings on all faces, bellringers' opening on south face. Interior: Perpendicular arcade and nave and aisle roofs; fine, rare early C17 chancel screen; other fittings mostly C19. Whitewashed plastered walls and masonry; C19 timber chancel arch; chamfered 2-centred tower arch with a panelled soffit; conventional 4-bay Perpendicular north arcade (I½ bays to the chancel); unceiled late C15 waggon roofs to nave and north aisle; 1875 arched brace roof to chancel with co- eval painted decoration; 1875 arch into organ chamber on a square abacus with well- carved foliage capitals; restored doorways to rood loft stairs. The most striking feature of the interior is the chancel screen, dated 1624 and carved with the name of Bernard Seridge. Round-headed openings are divided by Corinthian columns, the cornice is decorated with bold carvings of vine arabesques, putti and Tudor roses. The screen is crowned with obelisks and 2 achievements, one with the Royal Arms, one with the Prince of Wales' feathers. Fittings: include a probably C12 granite font with a square decorated bowl on a cylindrical stem, corner shafts and base replaced and an 1875 stone pulpit disfigured by grey and white paint with C17 balusters to the pulpit steps. Low choir stalls of 1875 with bold profiles; plain, probably early C19, box pews to nave and aisle; communion rails with ornamental iron standards; C19 commandment boards on tin, re- sited at west end of nave. Monuments: 3 interesting and rather unusual early C17 wall monuments in the north chancel chapel: on the north wall an egg and dart stone frame to an inscription on metal commemorating Alice Steyning, died 1605 with a long, personalised poem beginning "Alice daughter unto William Frye and Phillip Steynings wife/ (both squires) with her husband led a long and loving life/ 9 sons and daughters 5 she bare and then as turtle true/ (he dying first) she lived sole and would not chuse a new/". Next to this, flanked by Corinthian columns, a wall tablet with memorial date 1606 incorporates high quality brasses showing kneeling figures and armorial bearings. The original marbling and colour is a rare survival. On the south wall of the chapel a wall monument to Heny Worth, died 1630 and other members of the family has Corinthian columns, a swan-necked pediment and good survival of ancient colour. Late C18 and early C19 wall tablets include 2 signed by Reeves and son of Bath, and a pretty mid C19 Gothic tablet in the chancel to the Quartley family. 2 large painted hatchments in north aisle. Glass: Late C19 and early C20 stained glass includes a 1901 window in the nave signed by Lavers and Westlake; south-west window in chancel probably by Drake, memorial date 1876; east window of north chancel chapel probably Beer and Driffield, west window in north aisle probably Powell. A brass plaque fixed to the tower records that John Coles Esq. paid for the complete restoration of the tower in 1900 and 1901,and "rendered valuable assistance" during the 1875 restoration. "

Listing NGR: SS9353015406

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

96850

Legacy System:

LBS

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